Expect some scoring punch up front for Ottawa Fury FC this season

Following an off-season that had a big bump in the road, Ottawa Fury FC coach Nikola Popovic isn’t so worried about what’s behind his team, he’s more focused and excited about what’s ahead.

The team is in training camp — the week began with a practice at Gee-Gees Field, followed by daily workouts at Gatineau’s Complexe Branchaud-Briere — with an eye toward Fury FC’s United Soccer League regular-season opener March 9 in Charleston. Ottawa will play a “preparatory match” Saturday morning at Gee-Gees Field against the Carleton Ravens.

There’s still plenty of work to do and some new bodies — probably a couple of significant assets — will be added in the coming days. Fury FC is a team that scored just 31 goals in 34 games a year ago. That was a huge factor in the team’s 10th-place standing (13 wins, 15 losses and six ties). Fury FC also gave up 43 goals for a minus-12.

“We refreshed our back line and we brought in some quality players in the midfield,” said Popovic. “We have (Christiano) Francois in the front, but we need at least a couple of players in front who will be able to finish. We are close (to signing) some players. I don’t think it will be weeks, it should be days and we will have some news.

“We are going to have a bit more capability of bringing the ball into pockets with more control. That will give us a bit more possession.”

Fury FC has adjusted its training camp, allowing for outdoor practices leading right into its first game. Fury FC will work out indoors in Ottawa before leaving for Florida for training from Feb. 20-March 7. Indoor practices just aren’t the same and don’t translate to game conditions. It’s a problem Canadian teams traditionally have — all the way from Major League Soccer down.

“I really believe that will help,” said Popovic. “Almost always, there is a slow start for the Canadian teams. It’s not only the surface, you’re indoors and it gives you a different perception in your brain in how you analyze the game.

“We are more prepared (this year) in terms of understanding the weather and the indoor situation with the artificial field. We also have a better understanding of how the club operates and what our needs are. That will allow us all to be more prepared.”

Fury FC has moved beyond the fight it had with North American soccer governing body CONCACAF, which announced in December that it would not sanction the Ottawa team to play the 2019 season in the USL. It was only after Fury FC sought urgent relief from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to permit the team to play in the USL that CONCACAF reluctantly agreed. The Fury had committed to the USL, choosing a wait-and-see approach to joining the new Canadian Premier League, which kicks off in 2019. CONCACAF is run by Victor Montagliani, the former Canada Soccer boss and thus a booster of the new Canadian Premier League, which will start in April.

“It was an unpleasant situation, but I was always confident the organization would fix things,” said Popovic. “The most important thing for everybody is to focus on what we can control — that’s working hard every single day and have a team that will be very competitive.”

At the time, Mark Goudie, president and CEO of Fury FC’s parent company, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, said: “We’ve been clear from the start that we’re happy to watch the CPL evolve — it’s a pretty exciting time for them. In 2019, we’ll see how that’s coming together and hopefully we’ll all be in a better position to avoid what was a pretty difficult, emotional process this year.”

‘THE ORCHESTRATOR’

Coach Nikola Popovic figures Ottawa Fury FC has landed a good one in midfielder Charlie Ward.

The 23-year-old spent the 2018 season with San Antonio FC where he was a key component of their midfield in the 12 matches he played. Ward was on the field for more than 4,400 minutes of play with Rio Grande Valley FC Toros and San Antonio FC. A product of the Aston Villa Academy, Ward signed with the Stoke City reserve team in 2013 at the age of 18, earning his one and only call-up to the English Premier League side against Aston Villa in March 2014. He has since featured in over 100 games despite his young age, including a stint with the MLS Houston Dynamo in 2017. Ward says he was influenced in his style of play by star English midfielder Paul Scholes.

Midfielder Charlie Ward, in green: “If I’m playing well, the team plays well and we win.”OttSunWP

“He’s a No. 6, he’s a very, very good midfielder,” said Popovic.

Asked why he chose to sign with the Ottawa wide, Ward said: “I knew the coach from his time at Swope (Park). That was it really. He phoned me and we talked about the way the club wants to play. It was positive. There were other clubs, but were the other clubs going to play the football I wanted? Probably not. Speaking to the coach and the confidence he gave me, that’s why I chose this club. I believe in what they’re trying to, I want to help the team.”

Asked about his role on the team, about what kind of contribution fans can expect from him, Ward said: “I’m the orchestrator on the team. I have to be everywhere controlling everything, passing the ball. I have to be the one that has to try and dictate things for the team. If I’m playing well, the team plays well and we win. That’s what we’re all here for, to bring a championship to Ottawa.

“It’s always been the same style of play for me. I want to be on the ball, I want to dictate the game. If I’m influential in the game, the team normally does well or wins. It’s on my shoulders that I have to bring a lot to the table.”

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